Moonspear “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday.” —Winnie the Pooh

The whole body wiggle was a result of Hydra's signing as much as the rest of her reply. Meerkat pranced on the spot, letting out another sharp bark because she couldn't help herself. But, of course, she quickly schooled herself back to proper decorum. Between her little dance and her aunt's next question, it made her think of her exchange with Niamh a few weeks back.

-"Mom and Neema have taught me some,"- Meerkat mused, -"but I'm not much of a fighter."- She was beginning to realize that she would need to improve on that score, whether or not she liked it, simply as it seemed so important to just about every adult in her life. -"I can work on it,"- she decided aloud, punctuating this declaration with a sharp nod.

Then, of course, she was all too happy to regale Hydra and company with tales of her ranging. -"I haven't gone super far yet, just visiting the territories around Sun Mote Copse. This is the furthest I've gone."- She paused, then remembered in an excited rush, -"I found the way here all by myself today! I took a couple wrong turns but mom didn't say anything, she just let me figure it out. And I did!"- And that was perhaps her greatest accomplishment in life thus far.